Water Cooled Grinding

watercrawl said:
Perhaps a silly question, but:

Would cooling a platen actually keep heat build-up down while grinding a blade?

I reckon I could understand it better when using a very thin belt like a J-Flex or some such, but with a 50 grit ceramic belt......would it really help?

I've never felt the belt after a session of grinding....I know the platen gets hot, but does that heat transmit back through the belt?!?!
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I don't think that is a silly question. It is my expectation that cooling the platen will help the belt last a little longer and reduce the heat in the work piece, but only to a certain extent. It might reduce the built up crud from certain belts from accumulating on the platen as fast too.

It is possible to get a platen hot enough to sizzle water. In that case a cooled platen is a good thing. But it wouldn't be a cure all. A wet belt is going to keep a blade much cooler than a cold platen, but a wet belt isn't compatible with many belts and makes a big mess.
 
I'm doing a bunch of grinding on hardened steel these days and found this thread while trying to find a way to improve the process. Has anyone tried something as simple as pointing one of these (http://www.grizzly.com/products/Magnetic-Base-w-Coolant-Hose-110-lb-Force/G9621) at the contact point between blade and platen? While grinding, it would be cooling the back of the blade. With some sort of foot switch, it might be able to be turned off so the fast-moving grinding belt doesn't create a 360 degree mud stripe around the workshop.

How's this sound: hook up a little aquarium pump to a bucket. Run the pump into the coolant dispensing product from Grizz. Rig a foot switch to turn pump off and on (hopefully this ends up being quick to start and stop dispensing water). Use the thing to help with the heavy grinding work--making it faster safer for the steel's temper. I'm starting to play with steels above 60c and heat issues are really slowing things down when grinding a chef knife.
 
We have to come up with something. Every other machine used for serious grinding, milling, etc of materials that we use is typically swimming under a tsunami of coolant except for our piddly little belt grinders with the belt glue stuck to the platen.:D
 
I'd love to see some sort of photo or video of a mister being used in this way. Does anyone know of any?
 
Years back, I built (for sale) and used a lot of lapidary equipment. Water cooled belt grinders, wheels, and saws are the industry standard. Lapidary folks would look at you kind of sideways if you tried to use a non water cooled machine. In the new shop, I have plans for several water cooled grinders.

As a side comment, I just purchased a 24" grinding wheel in 120 grit. It is for a flat grinder I am building...sort of a giant lapping wheel. The edge is angled, so I can grind right up to the plunge. It will run at a reasonable speed and be water flooded. I will use it for kitchen knife grinds. I plan on adding a magnetic chuck on a swing arm to surface grind billets and blades on it, too. I bought the 80 pound wheel for $3.99...shipping was $60.
 
I come from a lapidary background and have used a lot of water setups.

One easy solution on the cheap is to buy a pressurized spray rig like they use for bug spray and use that for a sprayer. Pump it up and it will spray water for a while. Replace the big nozzle with something smaller like this. http://lopacki.com/tips/

I have also rigged up 1/4" irrigation tube and used pumps or gravity to direct water on whatever I am cutting. Clothes pins are good for directing and regulating flow.

Use a GFCI or you can get shocked! Water can get on a belt and to the motor, be careful.
 
I think that you can get a back yard misting setup and the parts for it at Home Depot. My dad had one of those installed on his boat for those nasty days in Key West and Cancun when it was 95 with no breeze. I think my brother had a setup like that on his back porch at his old house for a while.
Daniel Fairly Knives said:
I come from a lapidary background and have used a lot of water setups.

One easy solution on the cheap is to buy a pressurized spray rig like they use for bug spray and use that for a sprayer. Pump it up and it will spray water for a while. Replace the big nozzle with something smaller like this. http://lopacki.com/tips/

I have also rigged up 1/4" irrigation tube and used pumps or gravity to direct water on whatever I am cutting. Clothes pins are good for directing and regulating flow.

Use a GFCI or you can get shocked! Water can get on a belt and to the motor, be careful.
Click to expand...
 
For the parts and such for making a drip or spray device, go to the plumbing and irrigation section of your Home Depot or similar store. Look at the display of RainBird (or similar) drip watering supplies used for potted plants in the greenhouse or patio. There is the connector that screws on a water outlet, the black 1/4" hose, and the push-in tips that can deliver any amount or water you want from a tiny drip to a fan shape spray. The ones with the adjustable output are perfect, as they can be turned on or off with a twist, and they deliver a small spray . All this is really cheap,too.

This image shows the $4, 90 degree micro-sprayer that is about 1" tall. It just sticks in the end of the tubing.
http://www.homedepot.com/Outdoors-G...3&langId=-1&productId=100167077&storeId=10051
 
Grinding wet sounds like a good way to keep the G10/Carbon fiber dust down. Anyone have success with that?
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Years back, I built (for sale) and used a lot of lapidary equipment. Water cooled belt grinders, wheels, and saws are the industry standard. Lapidary folks would look at you kind of sideways if you tried to use a non water cooled machine. In the new shop, I have plans for several water cooled grinders.

As a side comment, I just purchased a 24" grinding wheel in 120 grit. It is for a flat grinder I am building...sort of a giant lapping wheel. The edge is angled, so I can grind right up to the plunge. It will run at a reasonable speed and be water flooded. I will use it for kitchen knife grinds. I plan on adding a magnetic chuck on a swing arm to surface grind billets and blades on it, too. I bought the 80 pound wheel for $3.99...shipping was $60.
Click to expand...
Please tell me where you bought that 24" grinding wheel. I have been looking for such a wheel for months.
 
9 year old thread, but still relevant.
I now recommend a Kool-mist type spray system. The clones are $10-20. Use the Kool-mist concentrate in the coolant tank .

As for the big wheels, I got them on ebay for next to nothing. Shipping was reasonable. I bough some after that old post and shipping was $30.
Two are Norton and two are Noritake wheels. I have them in straight edge (like a grindstone), and 45° Bevel edge, for a flat grinder (like a Blanchard).
I see plenty on ebay today, but they are around $250 plus freight.

You haven't filled out your profile, so I don't know where you live to give any advice on getting one. You could be my neighbor for all I know, and have one of my extras.
 
I you put your coolant tank pickup well above the spray nozzle will a 6 gallon air compressor suffice?
 
Or you can get the noga cool mist set up... A little more expensive but works perfect at 30 psi. I use the dual nozzle one they make
 
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